An-Nāziʿāt (النازعات): Exploring the 79th Surah of the Qur’an ✋
Comprehensive Definition
An-Nāziʿāt (النازعات) directly translates to “Those who tear out” or “Those who pull out”. It is the title of the 79th Sūrah (chapter) of the Qur’an, which consists of 46 verses. This surah emphasizes the concepts of life, death, resurrection, and the dichotomy between those rewarded and those punished by their deeds in the afterlife. It opens with dramatic imagery, “By those who tear out violently,” referring to the moment of death and the Angel of Death’s action towards the wicked (āya 1).
Etymology
The term Nazi’ah (نازعة) derives from the Arabic root “نزع” (n-z-‘a), meaning to pull out, remove, or tear out. The title encapsulates the process executed by the angels responsible for pulling the souls out of the bodies of the dead.
Background
An-Nāziʿāt is a Meccan surah, conveying strong eschatological themes aimed at striking the conscience of early Quranic listeners regarding the resurrection and the Day of Judgment. These themes are fundamental to Islam’s theological corpus, urging reflection on the ephemeral nature of worldly life and the inevitability of death and accountability.
Cultural Differences and Similarities
Cultural Differences:
- In Islam, the Afterlife encompasses Barzakh (a state of waiting), resurrection, judgment, and entry into Paradise or Hell. The forceful removal of the wicked’s souls and the gentle taking of the good aligns with these beliefs.
- In Christian Eschatology, there are somewhat parallel concepts, but the emphasis differs, such as Purgatory and a generally more compassionate image of the intermediary era.
- Hinduism emphasizes reincarnation, where roles of death-deities like Yama are central, though with less forceful imagery than in An-Nāziʿāt.
Similarities:
- Almost all religious beliefs recognize some form of minor epitome that delineates the treatment of righteous and wicked souls, depending heavily on each tradition’s nature of divine justice explored through mythological constructs.
Synonyms
- Tearers
- Extractors
- Withdrawers
Antonyms
There is no direct antonym within the Quranic context but Linguistic antonym can be givers/life-givers.
Related Terms
- Munkar and Nakir: Angels who question the dead in their graves.
- Azrael: Often referred to as the Angel of Death in Islamic lore.
- Barzakh: The barrier between the physical and spiritual world’s life and afterlife.
- Yawm al-Din: The Day of Judgment.
- Resurrection (al-Qiyamah): The concept of rising from the dead for judgment.
Exciting Facts
- An-Nāziʿāt’s imagery is not only theological but poetic, offering a potent reflection curating its listeners for conscious ethical awareness.
- The surah aligns with the broader messaging of accountability - bearing reach to day-to-day humility and ethical living.
Quotations
“By those who remove souls gently, and by those who untie the knot swiftly, and by those who glide rapidly, and by those who scale! As if what they frighten, it will be the morning last terror.” — Qur’an 79:1-6
Suggest Literature and Additional Sources
- The Study Qur’an: A New Translation and Commentary by Seyyed Hossein Nasr
- The Edinburgh Companion to the Qur’an edited by Jane Durant
- Eschatology in the Islamic Age of Expansion by David Cook
- Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) by Darussalam Academy
- The Angels in Islam by Gürbüz Deniz
Quizzes
Embark upon your journey through An-Nāziʿāt, absorbing its wisdom while accounting for our breath’s ultimate transience. Trust in seeking as Shahir Al-Mukhtar illuminates with
Salam and guidance!
